"How can a child learn and not learn at the same time? Why do some students apply little or no effort to school tasks while they commit considerable time and effort to demanding, creative activities outside of school? These behaviors are typical of some students who are simultaneously gifted and learning disabled." Susan Baum, Gifted But Learning Disabled: A Puzzling Paradox, ERIC Digest #479
COPAA, September 25, 2008The ADAAA overturns a decade of jurisprudence that has barred the door to ADA eligibility for many people with disabilities, including epilepsy, diabetes, intellectual and developmental disabilities, muscular dystrophy, and cancer, among many others. The reforms in the law will apply to both the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act... Read the full ADAAA (ADAAA requires Adobe Reader)
by Stephanie Monroe, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Civil Rights (OCR)It has been reported that some schools and school districts have refused to allow qualified students with disabilities to participate in [accelerated programs such as AP and IB]. Similarly, we are informed of schools and school districts that, as a condition of participation in such programs, have required qualified students with disabilities to give up the services that have been designed to meet their individual needs. These practices are inconsistent with Federal law... [emphasis added]
by Deirdre V. Lovecky Recognizing the different levels and kinds of giftedness, Lovecky provides insight into the challenges and benefits specific to gifted children with various learning difficulties. Guides parents and professionals through diagnosis and advises on how best to nurture individual needs, positive behavior and relationships at home and at school... or Amazon.co.uk
LDInfo.comWhat is a gifted LD student? Are there many gifted LD students? How and when are gifted LD students identified? Is it easy to assess LD in a gifted student? Are special education services necessary for gifted LD students? Are there any services available other than special education? How does a learning disability affect a gifted student outside of school? Do gifted LD students tend to have any special emotional or behavioral issues? What should a parent do?
from Montgomery County Public School Department of Curriculum and InstructionTo assist staff, parents, and the students in understanding the identification process and in accessing appropriate instruction. Covers identification, framework for success, interventions, and more... (requires Adobe Reader)
by Ocelot's MomThere are a few people in this world who can be described as a "force of Nature." Ocelot is one of those people. It is impossible to work with Ocelot for very long and not be changed by the experience. The purpose of this document is to give adults a crash-course in understanding Ocelot... Because her abilities show when she speaks, some people expect Ocelot to do superior work with little assistance, be a "self-starter" and to learn on her own. In Ocelot's case, this is not true...
Key Differences Between Section 504, the ADA, and the IDEA by Peter Wright and Pamela Wright, WrightslawWhat are the differences between students' protections under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). You need to know!
by Susan Daniels & Michael M. Piechowski Do you know an intense gifted child? You must read this book! An easy-to-read volume for parents, teachers, psychologists, everyone dealing with the gifted child, that explains the inexplicable, and guides us all in guiding the growth and development of our gifted children...
by James T. Webb, Edward R. Amend, Nadia E. Webb, Jean Goerss, Paul Beljan, F. Richard Olenchak, and Sharon Lind Physicians, psychologist, and counselors are unaware of characteristics of gifted children and adults that mimic pathological diagnoses. Six nationally prominent health care professionals describe ways parents and professionals can distinguish between gifted behaviors and pathological behaviors... or Amazon.co.uk
by Brock Eide and Fernette Eide Misapplied labels can be devastating; properly diagnosed labels can change a child's life. The Eides can help professionals and parents alike, to find the proper labels, as well as learning tools, exercises, and therapies that help children with similar labels. Each chapter covers a unique learning challenge: Visual Problems, Attention Problems, Autism and Autism-like Disorders, and more...
For a child to be eligible for services under Part B under the specific learning disability category, there must be a severe discrepancy between the child's achievement and intellectual ability in one or more of the following areas: oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression, basic reading skill, reading comprehension, mathematics calculation, or mathematics reasoning. No mention is made in the regulations of any exclusions solely on the basis of intelligence. All children, except those specifically excluded in the regulations, regardless of I.Q., are eligible to be considered as having a specific learning disability, if they meet the eligibility requirements... (Lillie Felton)
by Mary Sheedy KurcinkaIf you have an exceptionally spirited child, this book is written for you. Now Also available Raising Your Spirited Child Workbook
A quick review sheet for educators with both symptoms and solutions, published by the Pennsylvania State Education Association Professional Learning Exchange... (requires Adobe Reader)
A leading researcher and clinician, Waber offers an alternative to the prevailing view of learning disability as a problem contained within the child. Instead, she shows how learning difficulties are best understood as a function of the developmental interaction between the child and the world. Integrating findings from education, developmental psychology, and cognitive neuroscience...
from 2e Twice-Exceptional NewsletterSpotlight on 2e is a series of easy-to-read, information-rich booklets on 2e topics, that answer all the tough questions, and provide a terrific set of resources for additional information. I'm already ordering a set for the teachers and administrators in our child's new school this fall! Available:
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Understanding your Twice-Exceptional Student (for educators)
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Parenting Your Twice-Exceptional Child (for parents)
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The Twice-Exceptional Child with Asperger Syndrome
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Guiding the Twice-exception Child: A Collection of Columns by Meredith Warshaw
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The 2e Reading Guide: Essential Books for Understanding the Twice-exceptional Child
Coming soon:
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Understanding the Gifted Child with Attention Difficulties
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Understanding the Gifted Child with Central Auditory Processing Difficulties
by Mary Ruth Coleman, in Gifted Child Today ($)Teachers often view gifted students as outstanding performers and see these students as top picks for their classes. Yet, not all gifted-students thrive in school. For gifted students with learning disabilities, school is not always the most comfortable place. What have we have learned in the last 30 years? Terrific strategies to help gifted / learning disabled children cope, in academics, testing, and in life!
by Linda CollinsTwice-exceptional students also need intentional support that personalizes a strategic educational plan in each class. This is not coincidental, accidental, or unintentional support. The IEP/504 fulfills legal obligations for special education services, but teachers may need a more detailed intentional approach to helping a 2-e student in a particular content area, a more focused, delineated, plan, especially if the student is attempting an Honors or Advanced Placement class...
by Peter W. D. Wright and Pamela Darr Wright This book will teach you how to plan, prepare, organize and get quality special education services. In this comprehensive, easy-to-read book, you will learn your child's disability and educational needs, how to create a simple method for organizing your child s file and devising a master plan for your child's special education. You will understand parent-school conflict, how to create paper trails and effective letter writing... While not explicitly for twice exceptional kids, it is perfect for their parents and advocates
by Benedict Carey, New York Times, in Hoagies' Twice Exceptional...found in his son’s diagnosis a new language to understand his own life... “provided a frame in which a whole bunch of seemingly unrelated aspects of my own life growing up fit together for the first time.”
Editor's note: this applies to giftedness, too - many of us realize that we are gifted when our kids are first "diagnosed!"
The 2E Dilemma: Understanding and Educating the Twice Exceptional Child by Areva D. Martin, in LA Family Magazine“My son is gifted!” “My son is learning disabled.” The peculiar thing about these two statements is that they come from the same parent speaking about the same child! A proper diagnosis and appropriate intervention including special education is a start to meeting the mission of IDEA that all children with disabilities receive services to meet their unique needs...
3rd Circuit Court Decision in favor of private school placement of gifted/ld students (PA)Warren and Grant are both gifted students with learning disabilities. their parents became dissatisfied with their sons' IEPs and obtained IEEs of them...
American Hyperlexia AssociationHyperlexia is a syndrome observed in children who have the following characteristics: an extraordinary precocious ability to read words, but significant difficulty in understanding verbal language ... Also subscribe to the Hyperlexia mailing list H P N for discussion and information
Bad Behavior Does Not Doom Pupils, Studies Say by Benedict Carey, The New York Times[Study] concluded that kindergartners who are identified as troubled do as well academically as their peers in elementary school. The other found that children with attention deficit disorders suffer primarily from a delay in brain development, not from a deficit or flaw. Experts say the findings of the two studies, being published today in separate journals, could change the way scientists, teachers and parents understand and manage children who are disruptive or emotionally withdrawn in the early years of school...
The Blame Game! Are School Problems the Kids' Fault? by Pamela Darr Wright, WrightslawThey think Brian’s school problems are my fault... The school psychologist said Shannon's learning problems were her fault, that she was lazy and unmotivated and we had to pressure her to work harder...When a child has trouble learning or behaving in school, the source of the child's problem can usually be traced to one or more of five causes.
But I Did Everything Right! by Sharon Begley, in NewsweekDNA discoveries are revealing why even the best parenting doesn't have the effects experts promise, from breast-feeding to letting kids learn from mistakes. Or why different kids, even in the same family, react differently to the same situations and need different parenting styles, and may still not learn from their own mistakes...
The challenge of the highly gifted/special needs child by Meredith G. WarshawThe problem for twice-exceptional children ... is that they learn an even more damaging lesson: that if they cannot do a task right away, they won't be able to do it at all...
A Chance to Read: Twice Exceptional by Dennis Higgins, on LD Online (Video) Dr. Dennis Higgins teaches seven twice exceptional boys in New Mexico who need some unique instruction. Higgins shows how he helps these boys succeeed...
A Closer Look at Gifted Children with Disabilities by Cindy Little, in Gifted Child Today ($)In today's educational system, the myth of global giftedness is quite prevalent. While some students are talented in all academic areas, many more are not. Unevenness tends to be the rule rather than the exception. Thus, many children, due to a deficit in some aspect of development, are excluded from gifted programming--something many of them desperately need...
The Complete IEP Guide: How to Advocate for Your Special Ed. Child by Lawrence M. Siegel The book is written with the lay person in mind in a clear and concise manner. The whole IEP process is spelled out in easy to follow steps that gently glides one through the process
Denial of Eligibility Because of Gifted Intellectual Ability and/or Lack of FailureThe U.S. Department of Education, in a written response to questions from the Learning Disabilities Association of North Carolina, stated that "...each child who is evaluated for a suspected learning disability must be measured against his or her own expected performance, and not against some arbitrary general standard." Even an intellectually gifted student may be considered for eligibility for special education.
Derek's Story on Smart Kids with Learning DisabilitiesChronicles one family’s experiences throughout a school year as they deal with their 8-year-old son’s learning differences in a suburban public school. Though pseudonyms are used at the family’s request, all other aspects of the story are true. Travel along with Derek and his family in their struggle to find the right match of programs and teachers for a smart kid with learning disabilities....
Diagnosis Questions by Betty MaxwellHow much is too much? The general lack of professional education regarding issues of giftedness can lead to wrong advice or even misdiagnosis...
Diamonds in the Rough by Lisa FineIdentifying twice-exceptional students is a challenge for educators, in addition, because of the wide array of strengths and types of learning disabilities that exist. But researchers have noticed certain characteristics of twice-exceptional students...
Do I Stay or Do I Go? by Meredith WarshawIt is important that we teach our children both lessons - that when things get tough, we try to fix the situation, and that when the situation is unsalvageable, we look for other alternatives and make the best choice we can.
Dual Diagnosis and the Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder The essential feature of the obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency...
Dual Exceptionalities (ERIC Digest #574) by Colleen Willard-HoltGifted students with disabling conditions remain a major group of underserved and understimulated youth...
The Einstein Syndrome: Bright Children Who Talk Late by Thomas Sowell There is a certain well-defined group who are developmentally normal or even quite bright, yet who may go past their fourth birthday before beginning to talk. These children are often misdiagnosed as autistic or retarded, a mistake that is doubly hard on parents who must first worry about their apparently handicapped children and then must see them lumped into special classes and therapy groups where all the other children are clearly very different...
Enabling or Empowering? Adaptations and Accommodations for Twice-Exceptional Students by Rich Weinfeld, Linda Barnes-Robinson, Sue Jeweler, and Betty Roffman ShevitzThere is a difference in perception regarding the appropriateness of adaptations and accommodations, as well as differing beliefs about whether these adaptations and accommodations enable or empower students. Parents and
students agree with the positive attributes of adaptations and accommodations; special educators agree to a lesser extent; general educators, including administrators and counselors, especially those at the secondary level, tend to disagree with the provision of adaptations and accommodations... (requires Adobe Reader)
Enabling Our Children by Deborah Thorpe"The teacher says I am enabling him to be the way he is," Parents of children with invisible disabilities are constantly being blamed for their child's difficulties
The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene An explosive child who frequently exhibits severe noncompliance, temper outbursts, and verbal or physical aggression. If this sounds like your child, The Explosive Child lays out a sensitive, practical approach to helping your child at home and school...
Fighting Guilt by Charlotte RiggleMisplaced parental guilt is a monster... Seducing you with what might have been, it wastes your time, erodes your confidence, devours your energy, and distracts you from what is – which is the only thing you can do anything about
Gifted and learning disabled: A neuropsychologist’s perspective by Nadia Webb and Antara Dietrich.The challenge is how to provide a practical, whole-person understanding. Most twice-exceptional children would respond well to minor accommodations and a better understanding of their relative strengths and weaknesses. Ironically, the assessment process itself can sometimes hinder understanding a child because it is usually superficial...
Gifted? Autistic? Or Just Quirky? As More Children Receive Diagnoses, Effects of These Labels Seem Mixed by Maia Szalavitz, Special to The Washington Post"Paradoxically liberating" is how Phil Schwarz has described his Asperger's syndrome diagnosis. He was in his late 30s at the time. "It allowed me to make sense of everything through a new lens." It seems that America has fallen in love with the stamp of medical authority. Increasing numbers of children are given increasingly specific labels...
Gifted But Learning Disabled: A Puzzling Paradox (ERIC Digest #479) by Susan BaumHow can a child learn and not learn at the same time? For many people, the terms learning disabilities and giftedness are at opposite ends of a learning continuum
Gifted Children With Disabilities: Overcoming Stereotypes by Starr Cline and Kathryn Hegeman, in Gifted Child Today ($)Gifted children exist in all segments of the population. When children are gifted and have a disability, identification of gifts presents special challenges. Testing specialists tend to focus their assessments on establishing the extent of a disability and may not pursue assessment of giftedness. Stereotypic expectations work against gifted individuals with disabilities...
Gifted Children with Learning Disabilities: A Review of the Issues by Linda E. Brody and Carol J. MillsMany people have difficulty comprehending that a child can be gifted and also have learning disabilities. As a result, children with special needs that result from both their high abilities and their learning problems are rarely identified and are often poorly served...
The Gifted/Learning-Disabled Child: A Guide for Teachers and Parents by Erin A. FetzerWe are now in an era when the words "handicapped accessible" are emblazoned on the consciousness of most Americans and yet we still have not made gifted education "handicapped accessible." From definitions and identification to classification and program
The Gifted Learning Disabled StudentA student can be very bright yet have a learning disability. The unique needs of this special population are often misunderstood in the classroom. This resource is not available to read on the Internet; the link points to Johns Hopkins University, the publisher, where you can order it
Gifted students with learning disabilities: who are they? by Lawrence J. Lewandowski and Benjamin J. Lovett, in Journal of Learning DisabilitiesOne way to operationalize learning disabilities (LD) is as a discrepancy between an individual's ability and his or her achievement or performance. Although the use of this method of clinical diagnosis has been criticized by many, the basic idea may still serve as a useful heuristic for understanding the gifted student with LD. ...it seems reasonable that such an individual might well benefit from interventions to remediate the LD and from services to develop skills in those areas where the individual has above-average abilities...
Gifted students with disabilities are we finding them? by Frances A. Karnes, Elizabeth Shaunessy and Amy Bisland, in Gifted Child Today ($)The lack of information about gifted students with disabilities in gifted coursework may lead to the underidentification of such students since teachers of the gifted, often the best recruiters for gifted programs in K-12 schools, may not be aware of their characteristics or how to screen them appropriately. Often, a child's disability may mask his or her giftedness, which prevents him or her from being identified as gifted or leading to a misdiagnosis of the child's abilities...
Giftedness and LD: Twice Exceptional and Still Struggling by Sheldon H. Horowitz, National Center for Learning DisabilitiesPut "LD" and "gifted" in the same sentence and be prepared for puzzled looks, even signs of disbelief. Students with LD who are also gifted rarely meet the criteria for special education services. And when they finally are identified as eligible for special education help, they are often already in the later grades, swamped with the demands of content area instruction and lagging behind in grades and assignments because of the intensity of their work load...
Giftedness and Learning Disabilities (ERIC Digest #427) by C. June Maker and Anne Jo UdallIdentification of the Learning Disabled Gifted, Educational Implications, Solutions for Classroom Problems, Parent Help and References...
Good Friends Are Hard to Find: Help Your Child Find, Make, and Keep Friends by Fred Frankel and Barry Wetmore A step by step guide to 'what's age appropriate' for play, and how parents can make rules for kids to keep them moving in the direction of making and keeping friends. Good for shy kids and kids who seem to not get those unwritten social rules, or kids who have to deal with agemates that seem alien to them. Read the Davidson Institute review...
Highly Gifted Children in Full Inclusion Classrooms by Kathi KearneyIt is ironic that in an ideological environment which stresses "full inclusion" in regular classrooms for children with severe disabilities, highly gifted children are still being excluded in many ways...
Homeschooling Your Child with Special Needs by Isabel ShawFor families who have kids with special needs, the decision to homeschool is usually a desperate move. Parents are often frustrated by the inability of schools to provide the services their children need. But can ordinary parents help their children succeed when teams of experts are unable to do so? Isn't a school environment the best place for kids to learn? And what about socialization? The answers to these questions may surprise you...
How Does One Identify the Learning Disabled Gifted? by C. June Maker and Anne Jo UdallThe biggest problem in identification is that a disability often masks or inhibits the expression of giftedness, so that it is difficult to tell whether a person's abilities are outstanding enough to indicate giftedness. On the other hand, giftedness can often mask the learning disability because the person's abilities can help him or her overcome or compensate for the disability...
“I Am Who I Am Because of My Disabilities”: Perspectives of a Resilient Post-Secondary Student by Jason FordI’d like to start by saying that I have a diagnosed permanent learning disability, as well as ADHD and enough OCD to make my life that much more interesting. To me, this sounds more like a confession then a story, but life is what it is and I’m who I am because of my ‘disabilities’. Before I get into the story, I’d like to share some of my background to help give perspective on my life up till now...
Identification and assessment of gifted students with learning disabilities by Lilia M. Ruban and Sally M. ReisMore is known about the characteristics and needs of gifted students with learning disabilities today than in the past. However, many of these students are not identified as requiring services, and if they are, it is for only 1 exceptionality. This absence of knowledge about the consequences of the coincidence of gifts and disabilities has resulted in misidentification and minimal services for many students...
IQ Subtest Analysis: Clinical Acumen or Clinical Illusion? by Marley W. Watkins, Department of Educational and School Psychology, Pennsylvania State UniversitySubtest analysis is pervasive in psychological training and practice. But the evidence that exists regarding relations between subtest profiles and socially important academic and psychosocial outcomes is, at best, weak. Hypothesized relationships between subtest profiles and other psychosocial behaviors persistently fail to achieve statistical or clinical significance...
LD Online and their page on Gifted / LDThe interactive guide to learning disabilities for parents, teachers and children
Learning Differences by Fernette EideLearning differences & disabilities - explaining how they might present in the classroom, on the playground, or at home...
Learning Differences Ennis William Cosby FoundationIndividuals with learning differences present a challenge to our commitment to understanding diversity in learning and to our commitment to excellence in teaching - not to our standards of excellence in school achievement...
Learning Problems at School: Whose FAULT Is It?Based on 5,000 reports prepared by school psychologists, "the results indicate clearly no need to improve curricula, teaching practices, nor school administrative practices and management. The only needs somehow involve improving the stock of children enrolled in the system, and some of their parents." (sic)
Making A Difference: Motivating Gifted Students Who Are Not Achieving by Del Siegle and D. Betsy McCoachUnderachievement has at least four potential underlying causes, each requiring different intervention strategies. Educators should attempt to isolate the origin of the underachievement. Gifted students who are have difficulty with school should be screened for a wide variety of ... (requires Adobe Reader)
The Many Faces of Giftedness: Lifting the Mask by Alexinia Y. Baldwin Many children fail to get an appropriate education because of a preoccupation with ethnicity or a disability that leaves their intellectual strengths neglected...
Maverick Mind: A Mother's Story of Solving the Mystery of Her Unreachable, Unteachable, Silent Son by Cheri L. Florance Florance began to theorize that Whitney's visual thought process was so advanced, it had shut down his verbal ability. Together with her two older children, she developed a method of teaching Whitney to read and to think sequentially based on visual, rather than verbal cues...
Meeting the Needs of Twice-Exceptional Children by Meredith G. WarshawMany highly gifted children have other special needs – learning disabilities, ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, sensory integration disorder, etc. This can be very challenging, both in terms of identification, and in terms of finding ways to address both the gifted and special needs sides of the child adequately...
Meeting the Social Needs of Students Who Are Twice Exceptional by Mary Ruth Coleman, Christine Harradine, and Emily Williams KingRecognizing and supporting the social and emotional needs of twice-exceptional students are just as important as addressing their academic needs. We must appropriately identify and serve students who are gifted/LD in order to maximize their potential both inside and outside the classroom... (requires Adobe Reader)
Recognizing each child's intellectual, emotional, and physical strengths--and teaching directly to these strengths--is key to sculpting "a mind at a time," Detailed steps describe how mental processes work for capable kids, and how they can be finessed to serve those who struggle...
Mis-Diagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children: Gifted and LD, ADHD, OCD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder by James T. Webb, Edward R. Amend, Nadia E. Webb, Jean Goerss, Paul Beljan, F. Richard OlenchakMany gifted and talented children (and adults) are being mis-diagnosed by psychologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, and other health care professionals. The most common mis-diagnoses are: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Mood Disorders...
misunderstood Minds A companion site to the PBS specialThe tension between the demand for academic success and the stubborn reality of a problem makes learning difficulties one of the most contentious topics in an increasingly competitive and educated society. Don't miss Experience Firsthand, including LD activities impacting concentration, decoding, graphomotor, and 6 other LDs...
Motivation Problem or Hidden Disability by Meredith Warshaw"Your child's so smart - she could do that if only she'd try"... Children who look like they have "motivational problems" may have undiagnosed special needs. A few of the hidden disabilities that can make children seem like they "would rather stare at the ceiling than do serious work"...
my 2e guy in a million or less… by denverloriWrite in a million words or less anything you want us to know about your child. How they learn, what makes them tick, what works, what doesn’t. Since my child is on an IEP (individualized education plan) at school I had written a letter quite similar to this one a few years ago, but it was due for an update. I was thrilled his teachers asked!
My Mockingbird by RuthieSome well-meaning professionals shoot at our mockingbirds. Parents of twice-exceptional kids are told that our kids are too smart for the special education services they need -- and in the same breath, that they don't achieve enough in the classroom to receive the instruction they need
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv Today's kids are increasingly disconnected from the natural world, says Louv (Childhood's Future; Fatherlove; etc.), even as research shows that "thoughtful exposure of youngsters to nature can... be a powerful form of therapy for attention-deficit disorder and other maladies." Instead of passing summer months hiking, swimming and telling stories around the campfire, children these days are more likely to attend computer camps or weight-loss camps: as a result, they've come to think of nature as more of an abstraction than a reality...
Neurolearning.com by Fernette EideHelp parents learn about their children's learning differences and disabilities, so parents can understand how best to teach and help their children at school and at home...
Neurolearning LibraryChildren's individual 'road maps' of learning preferences and difficulties can tell us much information about how to optimize their learning, but sometimes it can be difficult figuring out a particular child's ways...
The Nonverbal Dictionary of Gestures, Signs & Body Language Cues David B. GivensFrom Adam's-Apple-Jump to Zygomatic Smile, items in this Dictionary have been researched by anthropologists, archaeologists, biologists, linguists, psychiatrists, psychologists, semioticians, and others who have studied human communication from a scientific point of view
Overview of Executive Dysfunction by Leslie E. PackerOne of the least studied and most often overlooked contributors to academic, behavioral, and social problems is the area of executive dysfunction. Executive functions (EF) are central processes that are most intimately involved in giving organization and order to our actions and behavior. They have been compared to the "maestro" who conducts the orchestra...
Quirky Kids: Understanding and Helping Your Child Who Doesn't Fit In- When to Worry and When Not to Worry by Perri Klass and Eileen Costello Pediatricians Klass and Costello address a growing issue: when to worry and when not, how far to push for diagnosis and/or treatment when a child's "quirkiness" becomes concerning. Broadly defining "quirky" kids as "the ones who do things differently," they explore anxiety disorder, attention deficit disorder, Tourette's syndrome, oppositional defiance disorder, Asperger's syndrome and other problems...
Raising My Twice-Exceptional Children... Not What I Signed Up For! by Sarah GarrisonOur homeschooling adventure began abruptly, when we realized that a bad preschool situation had become intolerable. Every day, it seemed, Origami left school either in a rage or in hysterics. Removing Origami from school produced an immediate positive change in his behavior and in his state of mind...
Retention for a Gifted LD/ADD Child? by Jerome J. Schultz, in Family Education MagazineIn one word, NO! What purpose could be served by having any (LD or not) gifted child go through a recycled curriculum? A child with a learning disability may need support to enhance specific skills throughout his or her education, but should not be held back to make this happen...
Siblings of twice-exceptional children by Meredith G. WarshawIt can be difficult to help the siblings of special needs children understand that parents are not favoring the special needs child, that he or she truly has severe learning issues...
Shadow Syndromes: The Mild Forms of Major Mental Disorders That Sabotage by John J. Ratey and Catherine Johnson Shadow Syndromes is thorough, but at the same time it simplifies the technical aspects of mental illnesses. The authors use plenty of anecdotes to illustrate how everyday people have recognized and overcome shadow syndromes...
Straight Talk about Psychiatric Medications for Kids by Timothy E. Wilens Helps parents make informed decisions about giving children medication for emotional and behavioral problems and psychiatric conditions...
Students With Both Gifts and Learning Disabilities: Identification, Assessment, and Outcomes by Tina M. Newman and Robert J. Sternberg Provides the reader with a broader conceptualization of the gifted/LD learner to include students who have gifts in other domains and who would benefit from being identified and having their talents nurtured. Provides information for elementary, secondary and college educators, resources for both education and psychology, and information for families, including parents and students...
Succeeding with LD: 20 True Stories About Real People with LD* (*Learning Differences) by Jill Laureen 20 short profiles relates the struggles and accomplishments of people with learning disabilities. They talk about their specific difficulty and how it was diagnosed. They recount their best and worst memories of school, describe how they succeeded and failed, and acknowledge the assistance and support (or lack of) that they received...
The Survival Guide for Kids with LD* (*Learning Differences) by Gary Fisher and Rhoda Cummings The book begins with the "Six Great Gripes of Kids with LD," the first of which is, "No one explains what LD is, so we spend a lot of time worrying about what is wrong with us." The authors then describe the five types of LD, the rights of LD students in public schools, and a variety of behaviors to help LD kids manage their feelings and get along better at home and in school, as well as ways to prepare for adult life...
Talent Development: Accommodating the social and emotional needs of secondary gifted/learning disabled students by F. Richard OlenchakSecondary school students who are concomitantly gifted and learning disabled is especially at risk for poor academic performance. Often, their sense of self has been damaged by schools' overemphasis on their disabilities at the expense of efforts aimed at enhancing their strengths. This exploration advocates the development of individual student talent as a philosophical theme for schools to accommodate the social and emotional needs among gifted/learning disabled youth. Descriptions of several educational innovations and reform components, likely to enhance talent development, are included...
Teaching Gifted Students With Disabilities edited by Susan K. Johnsen and James KendrickOffers both general information on gifted students with disabilities, as well as specific analysis of those with ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome. Several case studies offer a empathic first-person view of this population from the eyes of teachers, parents, and the students themselves...
, this is a teacher's guide to teaching twice exceptional gifted children... or Amazon.co.uk
Teaching strategies for twice-exceptional students by Susan Winebrenner, in Intervention in School & Clinic Are they gifted or learning disabled? Educators are now recognizing these students as "twice-exceptional." Savvy teachers are now learning how to allow these students to experience the same opportunities available for gifted students when they are learning in their strength areas. When students are learning in their areas of weakness, teachers are learning to provide the same compensation strategies used by other students with learning disabilities. This article offers specific instruction to empower teachers to effectively teach twice-exceptional students...
To Be Gifted and Learning Disabled: Strategies for Helping Bright Students with LD, ADHD, and More by Susan M. Baum and Steven V. Owens The gifted and learning disabled child exhibits remarkable talents in some areas and disabling weaknesses in others. This book covers everything a classroom or enrichment teacher must know in order to address the needs of gifted learning disabled youngsters, including identification, learning styles, and more
Tourette's Syndrome--Tics, Obsessions, Compulsions: Developmental Psychopathology and Clinical Care by James F. Leckman and Donald J. Cohen Tourette's syndrome is a relatively common childhood-onset disorder characterized by multiple motor and vocal tics. In addition, most patients have other symptoms such as obsessions, compulsions, motor hyperactivity, impulsivity, and distractibility, and many meet the criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder or attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder...
Top 10 Pieces of Advice for Parents of Uniquely Gifted Children by Meredith G. WarshawTwice Exceptional by Debra ViaderoFrom an early age, Dayle Upham remembers feeling like two persons. The person on the inside was quick, competent, and would always know the right answers in school. The person on the outside kept getting in the way
Twice Exceptional Doesn't Have To Be Twice as Hard by Stephany Sanchez FisherFrom an early age, Dayle Upham remembers feeling like two persons. The person on the inside was quick, competent, and would always know the right answers in school. The person on the outside kept getting in the way
Twice-Exceptional Students Gifted Students with Disabilities: An Introductory Resource Book Colorado Department of EducationA collaborative effort between classroom teachers, special educators, gifted educators, and parents is needed to identify twice-exceptional students and implement strategies to meet their diverse needs. It is essential that the disabilities are identified early so appropriate interventions can be provided at optimum times. Unfortunately, the struggles of many twice-exceptional students go unnoticed for many years, resulting in learning gaps and undeveloped potentials...
Underachievement and Learning Disabilities in Children Who Are Gifted by Steven G. ZeckerIt comes as a surprise to many people to hear that learning disabilities are as prevalent in the gifted population as in the general population, yet there is nothing in the definition of learning disabilities (or in their diagnosis) to preclude the gifted from this category
Vestibular DisordersWith vestibular disorders, the type and severity of symptoms can vary considerably. Symptoms can be frightening and difficult to describe. People affected by certain symptoms of vestibular disorders may be perceived as inattentive, lazy, overly anxious, or seeking attention. They may have trouble reading or doing simple arithmetic. Functioning in the workplace, going to school, performing routine daily tasks, or just getting out of bed in the morning may be difficult for some people...
What Does It Mean to Be Twice-Exceptional (2e)? Twice-exceptional (2e) students are gifted students who consistently demonstrate at home, in the classroom or through testing, many or all of the following characteristics... In addition, research evidence and my classroom observations confirm that 2e students also possess unique learning differences. These differences can result in a difficulty in some or all of these areas...
What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming OCD by Dawn Huebner Interactive self-help book turns kids into super-sleuths who can recognize OCD's tricks. Engaging examples, activities, and step-by-step instructions help children master the skills needed to break free from the sticky thoughts and urges of OCD, and live happier lives, using cognitive-behavioral techniques and empowering children to work toward change
When talent masks learning disability by D. Smith BaileyIdentification methods that look for intra-individual differences--comparing a child's oral-language and printed-language skills, for example--are more likely to catch a talented student with a learning disability than other methods that compare students' performance with benchmarks for normally achieving peers...
When the Child with Special Needs Goes Off to Summer Camp by Rick Lavoie, LD OnLineA few suggestions: when it comes to mail, quantity trumps quality every time; ask Grandparents, siblings, neighbors and friends to write; send family photos; send along a calendar for your camper to post in his room so that he understands when you will be arriving for Parent Day, when he will be returning home, etc...
“You Are Here”: Talent Search Helps (Twice) Exceptional Student Succeed by Karen EyersThe world of exceptional education is difficult to navigate. For us, the talent search shed light on the map and gave us that little red arrow that says “you are here.” Out of level testing answered questions...
Here you will find lots of resources and ppts.
HI all,
It is Saturday and I suspect you are all home and exhausted. Here are some of the offerings on the list .More are coming soon.
This is the article that explains the TLC.
INTEREST CENTERS
Twice Exceptional
See also ...
2e Twice-Exceptional Newsletter
ADAAA becomes law, strengthens 504 & ADA
Dear Colleague Letter: Access by Students with Disabilities to Accelerated Programs
Different Minds: Gifted Children With AD/HD, Asperger Syndrome, and other Learning Deficits
Gifted LD: Just the FAQs
A Guidebook for Twice Exceptional Students: Supporting the Achievement of Gifted Students with Special Needs
Introducing... Ocelot
Key Differences Between Section 504, the ADA, and the IDEA by Peter Wright and Pamela Wright, WrightslawWhat are the differences between students' protections under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). You need to know!
OSEP Policy Letter Re: Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD)
Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, and Energetic
Research Based Strategies for Special Needs Students - Twice Exceptional Students
Twice Exceptional/Twice Successful: Back to School Strategies that Work
Wrightslaw's Letter to a Stranger
Your Child's Disorder May Be Yours, Too
Editor's note: this applies to giftedness, too - many of us realize that we are gifted when our kids are first "diagnosed!"
The 2E Dilemma: Understanding and Educating the Twice Exceptional Child by Areva D. Martin, in LA Family Magazine“My son is gifted!” “My son is learning disabled.” The peculiar thing about these two statements is that they come from the same parent speaking about the same child! A proper diagnosis and appropriate intervention including special education is a start to meeting the mission of IDEA that all children with disabilities receive services to meet their unique needs...
3rd Circuit Court Decision in favor of private school placement of gifted/ld students (PA)Warren and Grant are both gifted students with learning disabilities. their parents became dissatisfied with their sons' IEPs and obtained IEEs of them...
American Hyperlexia AssociationHyperlexia is a syndrome observed in children who have the following characteristics: an extraordinary precocious ability to read words, but significant difficulty in understanding verbal language ... Also subscribe to the Hyperlexia mailing list H P N for discussion and information
Asynchronous development and sensory integration intervention in the gifted and talented population by Anne CroninAn overview of sensory integration and current relevant literature, and discuss this in the context of existing literature about the characteristics of gifted children. Includes interview, sensory diet, activities, and more...
Bad Behavior Does Not Doom Pupils, Studies Say by Benedict Carey, The New York Times[Study] concluded that kindergartners who are identified as troubled do as well academically as their peers in elementary school. The other found that children with attention deficit disorders suffer primarily from a delay in brain development, not from a deficit or flaw. Experts say the findings of the two studies, being published today in separate journals, could change the way scientists, teachers and parents understand and manage children who are disruptive or emotionally withdrawn in the early years of school...
The Blame Game! Are School Problems the Kids' Fault? by Pamela Darr Wright, WrightslawThey think Brian’s school problems are my fault... The school psychologist said Shannon's learning problems were her fault, that she was lazy and unmotivated and we had to pressure her to work harder...When a child has trouble learning or behaving in school, the source of the child's problem can usually be traced to one or more of five causes.
But I Did Everything Right! by Sharon Begley, in NewsweekDNA discoveries are revealing why even the best parenting doesn't have the effects experts promise, from breast-feeding to letting kids learn from mistakes. Or why different kids, even in the same family, react differently to the same situations and need different parenting styles, and may still not learn from their own mistakes...
The challenge of the highly gifted/special needs child by Meredith G. WarshawThe problem for twice-exceptional children ... is that they learn an even more damaging lesson: that if they cannot do a task right away, they won't be able to do it at all...
A Chance to Read: Twice Exceptional by Dennis Higgins, on LD Online (Video) Dr. Dennis Higgins teaches seven twice exceptional boys in New Mexico who need some unique instruction. Higgins shows how he helps these boys succeeed...
Children's Disability List of Lists from Children's Disability InformationAn annotated directory of mailing lists for families of children with disabilities and special needs. Each disability mailing list is validated for usefulness and family orientation...
A Closer Look at Gifted Children with Disabilities by Cindy Little, in Gifted Child Today ($)In today's educational system, the myth of global giftedness is quite prevalent. While some students are talented in all academic areas, many more are not. Unevenness tends to be the rule rather than the exception. Thus, many children, due to a deficit in some aspect of development, are excluded from gifted programming--something many of them desperately need...
Cognitive Functioning as Measured by the WISC-R: Do Children with Learning Disabilities Have Distinctive Patterns of Performance? by Amedeo D' Angiulli and Linda S. SiegelMany of the children with [learning disabilities] showed a significant difference between Verbal and Performance IQ scores, but so did many of the typically achieving children. Patterns of performance on intelligence tests are not reliable enough for the diagnosis of LD in individual children...
The Complete IEP Guide: How to Advocate for Your Special Ed. Child by Lawrence M. Siegel
Crossover Children: A Sourcebook for Helping Children Who Are Gifted and Learning Disabled by Marlene Bireley
Denial of Eligibility Because of Gifted Intellectual Ability and/or Lack of FailureThe U.S. Department of Education, in a written response to questions from the Learning Disabilities Association of North Carolina, stated that "...each child who is evaluated for a suspected learning disability must be measured against his or her own expected performance, and not against some arbitrary general standard." Even an intellectually gifted student may be considered for eligibility for special education.
Derek's Story on Smart Kids with Learning DisabilitiesChronicles one family’s experiences throughout a school year as they deal with their 8-year-old son’s learning differences in a suburban public school. Though pseudonyms are used at the family’s request, all other aspects of the story are true. Travel along with Derek and his family in their struggle to find the right match of programs and teachers for a smart kid with learning disabilities....
Diagnosis Questions by Betty MaxwellHow much is too much? The general lack of professional education regarding issues of giftedness can lead to wrong advice or even misdiagnosis...
Diamonds in the Rough by Lisa FineIdentifying twice-exceptional students is a challenge for educators, in addition, because of the wide array of strengths and types of learning disabilities that exist. But researchers have noticed certain characteristics of twice-exceptional students...
Do I Stay or Do I Go? by Meredith WarshawIt is important that we teach our children both lessons - that when things get tough, we try to fix the situation, and that when the situation is unsalvageable, we look for other alternatives and make the best choice we can.
Dual Diagnosis and the Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder The essential feature of the obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency...
Dual Exceptionalities (ERIC Digest #574) by Colleen Willard-HoltGifted students with disabling conditions remain a major group of underserved and understimulated youth...
The Einstein Syndrome: Bright Children Who Talk Late by Thomas Sowell
Enabling or Empowering? Adaptations and Accommodations for Twice-Exceptional Students by Rich Weinfeld, Linda Barnes-Robinson, Sue Jeweler, and Betty Roffman ShevitzThere is a difference in perception regarding the appropriateness of adaptations and accommodations, as well as differing beliefs about whether these adaptations and accommodations enable or empower students. Parents and
students agree with the positive attributes of adaptations and accommodations; special educators agree to a lesser extent; general educators, including administrators and counselors, especially those at the secondary level, tend to disagree with the provision of adaptations and accommodations... (requires Adobe Reader)
Enabling Our Children by Deborah Thorpe"The teacher says I am enabling him to be the way he is," Parents of children with invisible disabilities are constantly being blamed for their child's difficulties
The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene
Fighting Guilt by Charlotte RiggleMisplaced parental guilt is a monster... Seducing you with what might have been, it wastes your time, erodes your confidence, devours your energy, and distracts you from what is – which is the only thing you can do anything about
Gifted and learning disabled: A neuropsychologist’s perspective by Nadia Webb and Antara Dietrich.The challenge is how to provide a practical, whole-person understanding. Most twice-exceptional children would respond well to minor accommodations and a better understanding of their relative strengths and weaknesses. Ironically, the assessment process itself can sometimes hinder understanding a child because it is usually superficial...
Gifted and Learning Disabled: Twice Exceptional Students by Dawn BeckleyThere are at least three subgroups of twice-exceptional students whose dual exceptionality remains unacknowledged...
Gifted? Autistic? Or Just Quirky? As More Children Receive Diagnoses, Effects of These Labels Seem Mixed by Maia Szalavitz, Special to The Washington Post"Paradoxically liberating" is how Phil Schwarz has described his Asperger's syndrome diagnosis. He was in his late 30s at the time. "It allowed me to make sense of everything through a new lens." It seems that America has fallen in love with the stamp of medical authority. Increasing numbers of children are given increasingly specific labels...
Gifted But Learning Disabled: A Puzzling Paradox (ERIC Digest #479) by Susan BaumHow can a child learn and not learn at the same time? For many people, the terms learning disabilities and giftedness are at opposite ends of a learning continuum
Gifted Children With Disabilities: Overcoming Stereotypes by Starr Cline and Kathryn Hegeman, in Gifted Child Today ($)Gifted children exist in all segments of the population. When children are gifted and have a disability, identification of gifts presents special challenges. Testing specialists tend to focus their assessments on establishing the extent of a disability and may not pursue assessment of giftedness. Stereotypic expectations work against gifted individuals with disabilities...
Gifted Children with Learning Disabilities: A Review of the Issues by Linda E. Brody and Carol J. MillsMany people have difficulty comprehending that a child can be gifted and also have learning disabilities. As a result, children with special needs that result from both their high abilities and their learning problems are rarely identified and are often poorly served...
The Gifted/Learning-Disabled Child: A Guide for Teachers and Parents by Erin A. FetzerWe are now in an era when the words "handicapped accessible" are emblazoned on the consciousness of most Americans and yet we still have not made gifted education "handicapped accessible." From definitions and identification to classification and program
The Gifted Learning Disabled StudentA student can be very bright yet have a learning disability. The unique needs of this special population are often misunderstood in the classroom. This resource is not available to read on the Internet; the link points to Johns Hopkins University, the publisher, where you can order it
Gifted students with learning disabilities: who are they? by Lawrence J. Lewandowski and Benjamin J. Lovett, in Journal of Learning DisabilitiesOne way to operationalize learning disabilities (LD) is as a discrepancy between an individual's ability and his or her achievement or performance. Although the use of this method of clinical diagnosis has been criticized by many, the basic idea may still serve as a useful heuristic for understanding the gifted student with LD. ...it seems reasonable that such an individual might well benefit from interventions to remediate the LD and from services to develop skills in those areas where the individual has above-average abilities...
Gifted students with disabilities are we finding them? by Frances A. Karnes, Elizabeth Shaunessy and Amy Bisland, in Gifted Child Today ($)The lack of information about gifted students with disabilities in gifted coursework may lead to the underidentification of such students since teachers of the gifted, often the best recruiters for gifted programs in K-12 schools, may not be aware of their characteristics or how to screen them appropriately. Often, a child's disability may mask his or her giftedness, which prevents him or her from being identified as gifted or leading to a misdiagnosis of the child's abilities...
Giftedness and LD: Twice Exceptional and Still Struggling by Sheldon H. Horowitz, National Center for Learning DisabilitiesPut "LD" and "gifted" in the same sentence and be prepared for puzzled looks, even signs of disbelief. Students with LD who are also gifted rarely meet the criteria for special education services. And when they finally are identified as eligible for special education help, they are often already in the later grades, swamped with the demands of content area instruction and lagging behind in grades and assignments because of the intensity of their work load...
Giftedness and Learning Disabilities (ERIC Digest #427) by C. June Maker and Anne Jo UdallIdentification of the Learning Disabled Gifted, Educational Implications, Solutions for Classroom Problems, Parent Help and References...
Graphomotor Skills: Why Some Kids Hate to Write: Things to Know and How to Help by Glenda ThorneStudents with graphomotor problems are frequently called "lazy", "unmotivated" and/or "oppositional" because they are reluctant to produce written work...
GT-Special Mailing ListSupport for families of twice exceptional children...
Handheld Technology in the Classroom: Respecting and Meeting the Needs of All Writers by Cathy Risberg, in 2e: Twice-Exceptional NewsletterBy honoring our children’s learning preferences, we can offer them the writing options that will help them succeed. In allowing students to choose handheld technology as a tool, we will truly respect and meet their needs as learners and empower them as writers...
Highly Gifted Children in Full Inclusion Classrooms by Kathi KearneyIt is ironic that in an ideological environment which stresses "full inclusion" in regular classrooms for children with severe disabilities, highly gifted children are still being excluded in many ways...
Homeschooling Your Child with Special Needs by Isabel ShawFor families who have kids with special needs, the decision to homeschool is usually a desperate move. Parents are often frustrated by the inability of schools to provide the services their children need. But can ordinary parents help their children succeed when teams of experts are unable to do so? Isn't a school environment the best place for kids to learn? And what about socialization? The answers to these questions may surprise you...
Homework Without Tears: A Parent's Guide For Motivating Children to Do Homework and to Succeed in School by Lee Canter and Lee Hausner
How Does One Identify the Learning Disabled Gifted? by C. June Maker and Anne Jo UdallThe biggest problem in identification is that a disability often masks or inhibits the expression of giftedness, so that it is difficult to tell whether a person's abilities are outstanding enough to indicate giftedness. On the other hand, giftedness can often mask the learning disability because the person's abilities can help him or her overcome or compensate for the disability...
How to Handle a Hard-To-Handle Kid: A Parent's Guide to Understanding and Changing Problem Behaviors by C. Drew Edwards
“I Am Who I Am Because of My Disabilities”: Perspectives of a Resilient Post-Secondary Student by Jason FordI’d like to start by saying that I have a diagnosed permanent learning disability, as well as ADHD and enough OCD to make my life that much more interesting. To me, this sounds more like a confession then a story, but life is what it is and I’m who I am because of my ‘disabilities’. Before I get into the story, I’d like to share some of my background to help give perspective on my life up till now...
Identification and assessment of gifted students with learning disabilities by Lilia M. Ruban and Sally M. ReisMore is known about the characteristics and needs of gifted students with learning disabilities today than in the past. However, many of these students are not identified as requiring services, and if they are, it is for only 1 exceptionality. This absence of knowledge about the consequences of the coincidence of gifts and disabilities has resulted in misidentification and minimal services for many students...
If Gifted = Asynchronous Development, then Gifted/Special Needs = Asynchrony Squared by Lee SingerA parent's essay from Uniquely Gifted: Identifying and Meeting the Needs of Twice Exceptional Students
Impairments in language development can be detected in infants as young as 3 months on Physorg.comThe brains of infants distinguish differences in sounds and it may become possible to correct language problems even before children start to speak, sparing them the difficulties that come from struggling with language....
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004For the first time ever, twice exceptional (gifted AND...) children are specifically mentioned as needing services...
An Interview with Dr. Edward R. Amend: About the Emotional Needs of Gifted KidsDiscusses many of the current concerns faced by parents, teachers and counselors who work with gifted children have...
IQ Subtest Analysis: Clinical Acumen or Clinical Illusion? by Marley W. Watkins, Department of Educational and School Psychology, Pennsylvania State UniversitySubtest analysis is pervasive in psychological training and practice. But the evidence that exists regarding relations between subtest profiles and socially important academic and psychosocial outcomes is, at best, weak. Hypothesized relationships between subtest profiles and other psychosocial behaviors persistently fail to achieve statistical or clinical significance...
LD Online and their page on Gifted / LDThe interactive guide to learning disabilities for parents, teachers and children
LD PodcastA weekly podcast about parenting children who are struggling in school or have learning disabilities. Don't miss the Archive of Past Shows 1-16, Shows 17-28, Shows 29-
Learning Differences by Fernette EideLearning differences & disabilities - explaining how they might present in the classroom, on the playground, or at home...
Learning Differences Ennis William Cosby FoundationIndividuals with learning differences present a challenge to our commitment to understanding diversity in learning and to our commitment to excellence in teaching - not to our standards of excellence in school achievement...
Learning Problems at School: Whose FAULT Is It?Based on 5,000 reports prepared by school psychologists, "the results indicate clearly no need to improve curricula, teaching practices, nor school administrative practices and management. The only needs somehow involve improving the stock of children enrolled in the system, and some of their parents." (sic)
Making A Difference: Motivating Gifted Students Who Are Not Achieving by Del Siegle and D. Betsy McCoachUnderachievement has at least four potential underlying causes, each requiring different intervention strategies. Educators should attempt to isolate the origin of the underachievement. Gifted students who are have difficulty with school should be screened for a wide variety of ... (requires Adobe Reader)
The Many Faces of Giftedness: Lifting the Mask by Alexinia Y. Baldwin
Maverick Mind: A Mother's Story of Solving the Mystery of Her Unreachable, Unteachable, Silent Son by Cheri L. Florance
Meeting the Needs of Twice-Exceptional Children by Meredith G. WarshawMany highly gifted children have other special needs – learning disabilities, ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, sensory integration disorder, etc. This can be very challenging, both in terms of identification, and in terms of finding ways to address both the gifted and special needs sides of the child adequately...
Meeting the Social Needs of Students Who Are Twice Exceptional by Mary Ruth Coleman, Christine Harradine, and Emily Williams KingRecognizing and supporting the social and emotional needs of twice-exceptional students are just as important as addressing their academic needs. We must appropriately identify and serve students who are gifted/LD in order to maximize their potential both inside and outside the classroom... (requires Adobe Reader)
A Mind at a Time by Mel Levine
Recognizing each child's intellectual, emotional, and physical strengths--and teaching directly to these strengths--is key to sculpting "a mind at a time," Detailed steps describe how mental processes work for capable kids, and how they can be finessed to serve those who struggle...
Mis-Diagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children: Gifted and LD, ADHD, OCD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder by James T. Webb, Edward R. Amend, Nadia E. Webb, Jean Goerss, Paul Beljan, F. Richard OlenchakMany gifted and talented children (and adults) are being mis-diagnosed by psychologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, and other health care professionals. The most common mis-diagnoses are: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Mood Disorders...
misunderstood Minds A companion site to the PBS specialThe tension between the demand for academic success and the stubborn reality of a problem makes learning difficulties one of the most contentious topics in an increasingly competitive and educated society. Don't miss Experience Firsthand, including LD activities impacting concentration, decoding, graphomotor, and 6 other LDs...
Motivation Problem or Hidden Disability by Meredith Warshaw"Your child's so smart - she could do that if only she'd try"... Children who look like they have "motivational problems" may have undiagnosed special needs. A few of the hidden disabilities that can make children seem like they "would rather stare at the ceiling than do serious work"...
my 2e guy in a million or less… by denverloriWrite in a million words or less anything you want us to know about your child. How they learn, what makes them tick, what works, what doesn’t. Since my child is on an IEP (individualized education plan) at school I had written a letter quite similar to this one a few years ago, but it was due for an update. I was thrilled his teachers asked!
My Mockingbird by RuthieSome well-meaning professionals shoot at our mockingbirds. Parents of twice-exceptional kids are told that our kids are too smart for the special education services they need -- and in the same breath, that they don't achieve enough in the classroom to receive the instruction they need
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv
Neurolearning.com by Fernette EideHelp parents learn about their children's learning differences and disabilities, so parents can understand how best to teach and help their children at school and at home...
Neurolearning LibraryChildren's individual 'road maps' of learning preferences and difficulties can tell us much information about how to optimize their learning, but sometimes it can be difficult figuring out a particular child's ways...
The Nonverbal Dictionary of Gestures, Signs & Body Language Cues David B. GivensFrom Adam's-Apple-Jump to Zygomatic Smile, items in this Dictionary have been researched by anthropologists, archaeologists, biologists, linguists, psychiatrists, psychologists, semioticians, and others who have studied human communication from a scientific point of view
Overview of Executive Dysfunction by Leslie E. PackerOne of the least studied and most often overlooked contributors to academic, behavioral, and social problems is the area of executive dysfunction. Executive functions (EF) are central processes that are most intimately involved in giving organization and order to our actions and behavior. They have been compared to the "maestro" who conducts the orchestra...
Raising My Twice-Exceptional Children... Not What I Signed Up For! by Sarah GarrisonOur homeschooling adventure began abruptly, when we realized that a bad preschool situation had become intolerable. Every day, it seemed, Origami left school either in a rage or in hysterics. Removing Origami from school produced an immediate positive change in his behavior and in his state of mind...
Resource Group for Gifted / Learning DisabledParents network for gifted/LD - great information, in bulletins, articles, and more
Retention for a Gifted LD/ADD Child? by Jerome J. Schultz, in Family Education MagazineIn one word, NO! What purpose could be served by having any (LD or not) gifted child go through a recycled curriculum? A child with a learning disability may need support to enhance specific skills throughout his or her education, but should not be held back to make this happen...
Siblings of twice-exceptional children by Meredith G. WarshawIt can be difficult to help the siblings of special needs children understand that parents are not favoring the special needs child, that he or she truly has severe learning issues...
Selected Readings: Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities an ERIC Minibib
Shadow Syndromes: The Mild Forms of Major Mental Disorders That Sabotage by John J. Ratey and Catherine Johnson
Straight Talk about Psychiatric Medications for Kids by Timothy E. Wilens
Stones Across the River: an Analogy on the Twice-Exceptional Child and School by Deborah J. PaquetteThose who have never experienced life on the twice-exceptional side often don’t understand. After all, these children look just fine on paper....
Students With Both Gifts and Learning Disabilities: Identification, Assessment, and Outcomes by Tina M. Newman and Robert J. Sternberg
Succeeding with LD: 20 True Stories About Real People with LD* (*Learning Differences) by Jill Laureen
The Survival Guide for Kids with LD* (*Learning Differences) by Gary Fisher and Rhoda Cummings
Talent Development: Accommodating the social and emotional needs of secondary gifted/learning disabled students by F. Richard OlenchakSecondary school students who are concomitantly gifted and learning disabled is especially at risk for poor academic performance. Often, their sense of self has been damaged by schools' overemphasis on their disabilities at the expense of efforts aimed at enhancing their strengths. This exploration advocates the development of individual student talent as a philosophical theme for schools to accommodate the social and emotional needs among gifted/learning disabled youth. Descriptions of several educational innovations and reform components, likely to enhance talent development, are included...
Teaching Gifted Students With Disabilities edited by Susan K. Johnsen and James KendrickOffers both general information on gifted students with disabilities, as well as specific analysis of those with ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome. Several case studies offer a empathic first-person view of this population from the eyes of teachers, parents, and the students themselves...
Teaching strategies for twice-exceptional students by Susan Winebrenner, in Intervention in School & Clinic Are they gifted or learning disabled? Educators are now recognizing these students as "twice-exceptional." Savvy teachers are now learning how to allow these students to experience the same opportunities available for gifted students when they are learning in their strength areas. When students are learning in their areas of weakness, teachers are learning to provide the same compensation strategies used by other students with learning disabilities. This article offers specific instruction to empower teachers to effectively teach twice-exceptional students...
Teaching Study Skills and Learning Strategies to Therapists, Teachers, and Tutors: How to Give Help and Hope to Disorganized Students by Diane NewtonIf students are to have organization, study skills and learning strategies at the point when they need them, the skills have to be taught ahead of time. By middle school, or certainly no later than high school, students need specific instruction, demonstration, ample practice, and in many cases careful monitoring...
To Be Gifted and Learning Disabled: Strategies for Helping Bright Students with LD, ADHD, and More by Susan M. Baum and Steven V. Owens
Tourette's Syndrome--Tics, Obsessions, Compulsions: Developmental Psychopathology and Clinical Care by James F. Leckman and Donald J. Cohen
Top 10 Pieces of Advice for Parents of Uniquely Gifted Children by Meredith G. WarshawTwice Exceptional by Debra ViaderoFrom an early age, Dayle Upham remembers feeling like two persons. The person on the inside was quick, competent, and would always know the right answers in school. The person on the outside kept getting in the way
Twice Exceptional Doesn't Have To Be Twice as Hard by Stephany Sanchez FisherFrom an early age, Dayle Upham remembers feeling like two persons. The person on the inside was quick, competent, and would always know the right answers in school. The person on the outside kept getting in the way
Twice-Exceptional Students Gifted Students with Disabilities: An Introductory Resource Book Colorado Department of EducationA collaborative effort between classroom teachers, special educators, gifted educators, and parents is needed to identify twice-exceptional students and implement strategies to meet their diverse needs. It is essential that the disabilities are identified early so appropriate interventions can be provided at optimum times. Unfortunately, the struggles of many twice-exceptional students go unnoticed for many years, resulting in learning gaps and undeveloped potentials...
Underachievement and Learning Disabilities in Children Who Are Gifted by Steven G. ZeckerIt comes as a surprise to many people to hear that learning disabilities are as prevalent in the gifted population as in the general population, yet there is nothing in the definition of learning disabilities (or in their diagnosis) to preclude the gifted from this category
Understanding Tests and Measurements The Special Ed AdvocateBe sure to read about 'Katie' and her test score variation...
Uniquely GiftedThis site provides information for families of gifted/special needs children and those who work with them...
Uniquely Gifted: Identifying and Meeting the Needs of Twice Exceptional Students by Kiesa Kay and others
Using learning-strategies instruction with students who are gifted and learning disabled by Amy Bisland, in Gifted Child Today ($)Students who are both gifted and learning disabled do not always receive service for both areas. Students need the opportunity to participate in enrichment or acceleration programs in order to express their gifts. However, it is also important to address their learning disabilities...
Vestibular DisordersWith vestibular disorders, the type and severity of symptoms can vary considerably. Symptoms can be frightening and difficult to describe. People affected by certain symptoms of vestibular disorders may be perceived as inattentive, lazy, overly anxious, or seeking attention. They may have trouble reading or doing simple arithmetic. Functioning in the workplace, going to school, performing routine daily tasks, or just getting out of bed in the morning may be difficult for some people...
View from the Top: How Principals View Learning ProblemsThese articles deal with special education cases, but the problems discussed are strangely familiar to those discussed here...
What Does It Mean to Be Twice-Exceptional (2e)? Twice-exceptional (2e) students are gifted students who consistently demonstrate at home, in the classroom or through testing, many or all of the following characteristics... In addition, research evidence and my classroom observations confirm that 2e students also possess unique learning differences. These differences can result in a difficulty in some or all of these areas...
What to Do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid's Guide to Overcoming OCD by Dawn Huebner
When talent masks learning disability by D. Smith BaileyIdentification methods that look for intra-individual differences--comparing a child's oral-language and printed-language skills, for example--are more likely to catch a talented student with a learning disability than other methods that compare students' performance with benchmarks for normally achieving peers...
When the Child with Special Needs Goes Off to Summer Camp by Rick Lavoie, LD OnLineA few suggestions: when it comes to mail, quantity trumps quality every time; ask Grandparents, siblings, neighbors and friends to write; send family photos; send along a calendar for your camper to post in his room so that he understands when you will be arriving for Parent Day, when he will be returning home, etc...
“You Are Here”: Talent Search Helps (Twice) Exceptional Student Succeed by Karen EyersThe world of exceptional education is difficult to navigate. For us, the talent search shed light on the map and gave us that little red arrow that says “you are here.” Out of level testing answered questions...
Last updated May 22, 2011
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